Wales’ fairytale signals a bright future beyond France

True, Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan’s poor header back to Chelsea custodian Thibaut Courtois allowed Bale, more often that not brilliant for his nation, an incredibly lucky opening, but the Real Madrid superstar made his 24th minute finish look easy. Watch Bale’s goal here:

Yet for all the fear Bale’s raw pace, plus Aaron Ramsey’s passing range and the hard work of Reading forward Hal Robson-Kanu, it is Wales’ robust rearguard, marshaled by skipper and Swansea City centre half Ashley Williams and shielded by Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen, which should also be credited with this international revival.

The Dragons have always had dangerous individuals able to bring a moment of star quality, from Ryan Giggs to Craig Bellamy, but now they have a truly fantastic team spirit and solid spine to boot, brimming with belief.

Tenacious tackles and the repelling of the Red Devils, currently ranked second in the world by FIFA, looked to be cheered just as enthusiastically as forays forward by the passionate support, and defensive dedication will be key should they make it across the channel for Euro 2016.

Speaking after the landmark clash, Coleman was cautious, and told media: “We’re embracing the pressure. The players and fans deserve to enjoy it because they’ve come through a lot, but there’s a lot more to go through yet.

“That was the biggest win but I believe there’s a bigger one coming in this campaign. I don’t know when it will be. It will be the one which says we’re going to France,” he added.

Reaching France would undeniably be a fantastic achievement but, with Bale, 25, and Ramsey, 24, both arguably not yet at their peak, there is no reason that Wales should not at least aspire to more.

Russia 2018 may seem a giant leap at this point, but the challenge for the Dragons is to keep pushing on, and ensure that should they make it, France 2016 is merely a stage their development, not the destination.